(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Let me first of all take this opportunity on behalf of the Heads of Government and other delegates of CARICOM to extend a warm welcome to His Excellency Felipe Calderón to this part of our Caribbean, the beautiful Island of Barbados and to the Second CARICOM-Mexico Summit. Your Excellency, we have keenly anticipated the convening of this Summit, following the historic Inaugural Summit in your country two years ago, where we laid the foundation for a new level of cooperation and dynamism in this very important partnership.

We met on that occasion during very testing times as many of our countries were still reeling from the effects of the global financial and economic crisis. Our discussions then were anchored around the theme of “Common Challenges”, and the need for a strategic partnership which would help us address the challenges which are common to all of our countries. I believe that today our discussions will be of similar vein. Sadly, we are still in the stranglehold of the global financial and economic crisis and, as small vulnerable economies, our countries are still seeking strategies to counteract the debilitating effects of the crisis. Needless to say, the common challenges which we spoke of then also continue to hold the attention of both CARICOM and Mexico. These include energy security, climate change, sustainable development and food security, to name only a few.

Conscious of the need to re-strategize and prioritize the Community’s efforts in addressing such global challenges, the CARICOM Heads of Government, in a Retreat just over a year ago, identified the issues I just mentioned as being among the areas of priority which should be targeted for regional action to achieve a tangible impact in Member States, particularly in the area of job creation. It is therefore fitting that today we will engage in discussions as to how CARICOM and Mexico can collaborate more closely in the areas of trade, investment and tourism – the very sectors which are critical to fuelling the engine of economic growth and job creation for our economies. It is also fitting that our agenda will focus on some areas of mutual concern, including citizen security and transnational organized crime, issues which have had a harmful effect on our countries, destabilizing our societies, and hampering economic development.

CARICOM is of course pleased that the issue of the G20 appears prominently on our Agenda. There is no doubt that this is an important forum in which the Community has great interest, but within which, regrettably, we do not have a voice, though this body makes far-reaching decisions which impact significantly on the viability of our economies. President Calderón, you will recall that when my CARICOM colleagues and I met with you briefly just a month ago in Cartagena in the margins of the Sixth Summit of the Americas, we seized the opportunity to reiterate our concerns about the reform of the International Financial Institutions, to allow for an enhanced voice and participation of emerging markets and economies. We also raised the issue of access to the more concessional facilities and instruments from which many of our CARICOM Member States have been graduated, even though they are classified as Small Highly Indebted Middle Income Countries. The Caribbean Community continues to advocate for renewed access to concessionary financing given our high indebtedness and high level of economic vulnerability, and for the requisite special treatment and assistance from the international community, in order to be able to grow out of their debt. As we discuss the G20 later today, we will delve into the details of the concerns which we have, and on which we will be seeking your continued advocacy within the G20 forum. We recognize that as host of the G20 Summit this June, you are well placed to be our voice and to articulate our concerns and positions. We look forward to positive outcomes of those discussions.

CARICOM is also pleased that the themes which Mexico has opted to focus on in the upcoming G20 Summit, resonate very well with many of our own areas of interest – namely economic stabilization and structural reforms as foundations for growth and employment; the strengthening of the financial system and fostering financial inclusion to promote economic growth, as well as improving the international financial architecture; enhancing food security; and the promotion of sustainable development, green growth and the fight against climate change. We have reviewed with interest, Mexico’s Policy Paper on the G20, and welcome the focus on measures for promoting high-quality job creation, the renewed political commitment to sustainable development and green growth, the identification of disaster risk management as an important issue for discussion, and the prioritization of discussions on enhanced food security and increased agricultural productivity. Our discussions today will touch on many of these areas, and we hope therefore to be able to positively influence Mexico’s positions on those issues at the G20.

Indeed, CARICOM and Mexico had already begun to partner on some of these issues, as reflected in the Declaration on Climate Change which we signed in Cancun in February 2010, in the lead up to the COP 16 hosted by Mexico later that year. You will recall, Excellency, that with the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti still very fresh on our minds, we also adopted at that First Summit a Declaration on Haiti, committing to working together to provide support to Haiti in its medium and long term reconstruction efforts. CARICOM is therefore heartened at the initiative proposed by Mexico to build on this commitment through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperation with Haiti, which will concretize our commitments and provide a structured and focused framework for our joint efforts to support that CARICOM nation.

On the 19th of May the joint commission CARICOM- Mexico met and after a day proceedings decision were taken to cooperate in several areas, which will be of critical importance to the social economic development of our region.

Yesterday our Ministers met and two MOU’s were signed. One MOU on Cooperation in Higher Education and one on the Trilateral Cooperation with Haiti. Several other areas of cooperation and collaboration were discussed and agreed too. CARICOM is heartened and appreciative with the generosity of Mexico to assist the Region in achieving it goals.

Mr. President, Colleagues, we have in front of us a substantive agenda and I look forward not only to fruitful discussions, but to the undertaking of concrete decisions and commitments which will propel the already strong CARICOM-Mexico friendship to yet a higher level of partnership and meaningful collaboration.

Permit me ladies and gentlemen to express to our friend President Filipe Calderon, my deep appreciation for his personal efforts to promote closer cooperation and ties between CARICOM and Mexico. It was under your watch, President Calderón, that in 2010, we had our first CARICOM- Mexico Summit. On the eve of your leaving the High Office of President of the United Mexican States, you are co-chairing the Second CARICOM-Mexico Summit, being clear and tangible evidence of your unwavering commitment to the wellbeing of the Caribbean Countries and their people. CARICOM therefore will always remember you as a true friend.

In closing, I wish to thank the Government of Barbados for the excellent arrangements which have been put in place on behalf of all of our CARICOM countries, to demonstrate our traditional CARICOM warmth and hospitality, and most importantly, to facilitate what I am sure will be a productive meeting of the minds.

I thank you.

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